When voters consider a face-off between the two, Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty just nudges past his strongest rival and frequent thorn-in-side, DFL Attorney General Mike Hatch. The latest Rasmussen Reports election poll finds Pawlenty leading Hatch 47% to 44%.

Pawlenty, currently serving his first term, fares better when matched against DFL State Senator Steve Kelley. He then leads 46% to 37%, with 18% unsure which candidate to pick or preferring another.

The Minnesota Senate race is also very competitive.

Governor Pawlenty is viewed favorably by 57% of respondents—the same percentage who view Hatch favorably.

Pawlenty's recent comments about the need to crack down on illegal immigrants have sparked controversy, and some have tried to use the issue as a crowbar to pry away voters. But it is apparently not at the top of the electorate's check list.

Seventy-six percent (76%) of likely voters do say the immigration issue is important to them, 62% report paying attention to governor's proposals for curbing illegal immigration, and 59% favor the nationally discussed proposal to build a barrier across the Mexican border with the United States.

However, only 14% say immigration is more important to how they'll vote than the economy. Seventy-eight percent (78%) say the economy is more important.

Health care is another issue voters tend to regard as more important than immigration.

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Thirty percent (30%) of GOP members rate immigration as more important than either health care or the economy, the largest percentage of any group identified in the poll.

Other candidates for governor include real estate developer Kelly Doran (DFL), State Senator Becky Lourey (DFL), public consultant Peter Hutchinson (Independence Party), and restaurant owner Sue Jeffers (Libertarian Party). The Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL) is the state's equivalent of the Democratic Party.

Just 35% of Minnesota voters approve of the job George Bush is doing as President. That's well below his national Job Approval rating.

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